Critical Influences (Part B)

Don't offend the king with truth. Whatever you do, lie to him. That's not an offense to this guy.

Telling the truth is what offends him. People tell this to churches to this day. Whatever you do, don't tell it like it is.

Go with the flow, don't go with God. But not the God of the Bible. Some believe that peace is superior to truth. And God says, no, there is no peace without the truth. James 3 17, but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable.

That is the order that it goes in. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of First Kings.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Now here's Pastor Rick with his continuing message called Critical Influences in First Kings chapter 22. Verse 8, so the king said to Jehoshaphat, there is still one man, that's right, there is still one man, and this one man stands up against evil. Anyway, that's not how he means it.

Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, let not the king say such things. See again, Jehoshaphat, he's such a good boy.

Instead of saying, look, you better shut your mouth before I do it for you or something like that. No, no, he's like, you know, don't say such things, you know, it's not nice. He's probably got a little hand puppet with him that he keeps, a little teddy bear. Anyway, I still like him. I mean, he's just, he's an adorable guy.

Well, there's still one man that won't go away. Maybe you are that one Christian in the workplace or school or family or wherever you are. You're just that one person that won't play by the world's rules because Christ is your ruler.

You are a Micaiah. He says, I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. Yeah, because you do evil. What is with crooks? I mean, liars hate to be lied to. You might notice that. And they also hate to be caught lying, so they lie about being.

What is wrong with some people? Well, it's a critical influence. Satanic influence.

It doesn't have to be dramatic and just be ruinous. Ahab's idea of God's word was that it was a hindrance to achieving what he wanted in life. Micaiah didn't share that view. And to Ahab, eternal truth didn't matter.

What mattered is what you could get hold of in this life. That was the spirit of Esau. Esau, you know, Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated. Esau was a man of the earth.

And Ahab, of course, is far worse. And he did not think that wickedness should be called out, especially his wickedness should not be addressed. And this is the height of madness and we see it paraded before us today through the ages. He had a fear of the truth because it was against him. And Jehoshaphat said, verse 8, let not the king say such things. It's a weak protest and this from a man whose heart stilled to lights in the Lord and sent out the Bible teachers throughout the land of Judah.

Verse 9, then the king of Israel called an officer and said, bring me Micaiah, the son of Imlah, quickly. He's impatient. He wants to get past this.

To him it's a formality. They're going to war. And Jehoshaphat's already been manipulated. And so he's just got to still see the face of this prophet. He's just irritated.

And so this interruption, he moves on. Verse 10, then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each one on his throne at the thrashing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the people prophesied before them.

Well, they're singing songs and they're entertaining them with religious junk. And Jehoshaphat is, you know, he's sitting through this stuff saying, well, I don't believe it, but it's very interesting. I mean, it's a portrait of evil and naivete here at the same time. Here's evil Ahab in his long robe, his kingly attire, and Jehoshaphat is matching.

He's got one too, and he's just naive. Now, these thrashing floors, there weren't many places that could accommodate. You've got 400 prophets here, plus all the king's court and the other people.

This is a large crowd. And the thrashing floors would accommodate that. They were seasonal.

You wouldn't be thrashing wheat only in the wheat season or barley. So this made a nice place for everybody to gather. And there are the two bumps on a log. Ahab and Jehoshaphat, they should not be together. This is not an even yoke. Verse 11, Now Zedekiah, the son of Ganaanah, he was from Samoa.

No he wasn't, but his name sounds like it. Anyway, he made horns of iron for himself, and he said, Thus says Yahweh, with these horns you shall gore the Assyrians until they are destroyed. I don't know what Jehoshaphat is saying. Ahab is enjoying this, but here is this Zedekiah. He's the leader of the pack of these false prophets. And he grabs some iron, and he holds them up like horns, because after all, the gods were strong as bulls, and they could just push and gore anybody in their way.

It's dramatic, and it's false. Today, what they do is they get an artist to make a really nice cover to their book. And Christians look at that cover, or they read the title, Experiencing God. Well, I've got a book like that, and there's no artwork on the cover.

And it's got everything I need in it. That doesn't mean I can't read other books, but it does mean I'm not going to read other books that are contradicting this book. So they still get their iron horns out and tell you what God is going to do, and it's forgery, signing his name to documents that he did not author. Well, Jehoshaphat dismisses this. Zedekiah forges the name of Yahweh, and Ahab is just, again, in a hurry to get going with the war.

Verse 12, And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth, Gilead, and prosper, for Yahweh will deliver it into your hand. These are worshippers of Baal, but they think that, you know, gods are interchangeable. I mean, you know, we got the same contact into the spiritual world.

You know, I got Jesus, Buddha. What's the difference? You're going to find out. That last, after that last breath you take, you're going to find out the difference, and it's going to be too late. Well, to make a difference, right? Verse 12, verse 13, Then the messengers who had gone up to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Now listen, the words of the prophets, with one accord, encourage the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement. This is why you will never see me at a city or a county ribbon-cutting ceremony. I just, you know, Pastor Rick, could you come up and share some words for everybody?

Yes, I can, but you won't ask me again after this one. You know, they're telling him, they're writing, don't offend the king with truth. Whatever you do, lie to him.

That's not an offense to this guy. Telling the truth is what offends him. People tell this to churches to this day. Whatever you do, don't tell it like it is. Go with the flow, don't go with God, but not the God of the Bible. Some believe that peace is superior to truth, and God says, no, there is no peace without the truth. James 3.17, but the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable.

That is the order that it goes in. Now we have to endure a lot to get these things worked out. They're not always instant.

There's often a process. Even Jesus endured so many things that, you know, if he didn't, he just would have wiped everyone out on the bottom line. Anyway, Micaiah the prophet, when he hears, told, listen, don't rock the boat. You know you got a history with the king, and it ain't good.

Don't rock the boat. Micaiah is unimpressed. The wicked do not impress him. He does not like, wow, if I could be like one of you guys, or I could see the logic behind this.

He's not like that at all. In fact, he's going to get his sarcasm going, verse 14. And Micaiah said, when he finally gets there now, as the Lord, well, he's not there yet. He's telling the deputy who's come to fetch him, as Yahweh lives, verse 14, whatever Yahweh says to me, that I will speak.

He's already telling the truth. It makes us mindful of Acts 4.29, now look on their threats and grant to your servants that with all boldness we may speak your word. Well, there it is illustrated in the Old Testament, almost a thousand years before the apostles spoke it there in Jerusalem. Verse 15, then he came to the king, and the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth, Gilead, or shall we refrain?

And how do you like my robe? And he answered him, go and prosper, or for Yahweh will deliver it, into the hand of the king. Verse 16, so the king said to him, how many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?

I love it, because, oh now shall go, king. There had to be something, either some dramatic rolling of the eyes, or some monotony, something triggered Ahab to know that Micaiah is patronizing him. It's just, you know, that's not the right word, condescending is not the right word, just giving him what he wants, sarcasm. I don't know exactly how it is, but Ahab knew he was being mocked. He knew this was not the message from Yahweh. And so, again, verse 16, so the king said to him, how many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?

He could say, well, because you're going to smack me if I tell you the truth or hurt me. But he doesn't do that, Micaiah, he doesn't care, he'll take the hits, and he's going to take a hit. I think they had a history, these two, of Micaiah being sarcastic to the king, and he's picking that up. Verse 17, then he said, now Micaiah is going to give the prophecy, then he said, I saw Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And Yahweh said, these have no master, let each return to his house in peace. In other words, the king's going to die, and the shepherd is metaphorically referred to as the king. And so here, truth is proclaimed, the standard of righteousness is maintained, and censorship is ignored.

He moves forward. This leaderless flock will be the army of Israel in full retreat because the king will be dead. Verse 18, and the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there's nobody else, you can't look into the camera, he turns to Jehoshaphat, the righteous king, did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me but evil?

It's almost comical, these two. I told you he'd do it. Well, because you're evil. It's like, you know, you've got Dracula, you know, complaining about people, complaining about inviting them. So, anyway, he says this as though this vindicates him.

See, I'm innocent. I told you he was going to say something bad, and you know it can't be true. This is why I didn't want him here in the first place. This is just funny on that level. What's not funny is the real damage he was doing to lives. So he knew the prophet would not fall in line with everybody else. Remember, this is the same king that had no problem calling Elijah the troublemaker when it was him.

The spin. I wonder, you know, I wonder if some people, Jeremiah said, can a leopard change its spots? I mean, is there such a thing where it's fixed and it ain't changing? Well, of course, we know God can do everything, but there's a fact that remains that it has to be God. There are difficult things, and it is wise to keep that in mind. Otherwise, you begin approaching life with demands on God. Well, I knew God was going to just raise them up from the dead. I knew God was going to do this. You know, how did you know that? Did God tell you that?

And if you were wrong one time, why do you keep doing it at other times? So we have to be wise and understand that we're not spectators to the world. We are participants. We're not an exception as to the hardship that befalls us. We are spared some things, but sometimes we're not, and that means we must always work to be wise. Well, I think you all know that, but it's good to hear it anyway because we all know Christians who think that thinking is not necessary.

They just have to feel it in the spirit. Verse 19, then Micaiah said, Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by on his right hand and on his left. Now, this is a parable because God does not need to say, Hey, I've got to figure out a way to trip up Ahab. So this is parabolic, and I think if you begin to take this back to this emotional approach to the scripture. If you take this literally, you create other theological problems. If you take it as a parable, it fits very smoothly, and that's what he's doing. He's illustrating his point. He says, Okay, I'll tell you what. Let me give you a story.

This will sit with everybody. However, in Job, it's a literal event. We have no reason to doubt that Satan came before the Lord, and God says, Where have you been? And he says, Oh, going to and fro, looking at what I can get into. And God says, Of course, did you consider my servant Job? He is evil. He's righteous above all. A pretty powerful boast that he put on Job.

Anyway, here it is parabolic. Again, God needs no advice. He is making his point. Verse 20, and so he says, let's go back to verse 19 briefly. Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh.

I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by on his right hand and on his left. So this is God, the prophet illustrating God's will through this parable. And Yahweh said, verse 20, Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead? So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Verse 21, Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, I will persuade him. Verse 22, Yahweh said to him, In what way? So he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all of his prophets.

Pause there. That is true. That's what he's illustrating. The deceiving spirit, a critical influence from hell in Ahab's case, has entered the mouths of these false prophets to the delight of Ahab.

Because he's the same way. Anyway, continuing in verse 22, And Yahweh said, You shall persuade him, and also prevail, go out and do so. Now if you insist that, no, he actually saw this in heaven. Well, I'm not going to debate that.

It's not a critical point. But again, I see this as if you see this literal event taking place in heaven, trying to figure out how to take down Ahab, you've got problems. But again, it's parabolic. That is very appealing. I just use parables all the time. They hit the mark and they stayed with you. One that stays with me is, you know, cut the tree down.

No, let's give it three years. I'll fertilize it. I mean that just sticks with me.

I can see the two men interacting this way and I can see how it applies to my life and others too. Be patient. Give it a little bit more attention. Maybe it will respond.

But don't just react and just hack it away. So, coming back to verse 22 now. Well, I do want to add this. Of course, the prophet is illustrating the sinking sand. Ahab has got his foundation on sinking sand. Psalm 18.

With the pure, you will show yourself pure. And with the devious, you will show yourself shrewd. And this is what we have taking place in this parable. The same lying spirit that is lying to those prophets, that is lying to Ahab, is the same lying spirit world that motivated Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus Christ. And it is the same lying spirit that is telling heads of state, you can invade them. You can do this and you can do that.

And you can write this law. And Satan is the enemy. When we say Satan, we don't always mean Lucifer himself. We mean that underworld that is opposed to God, very active. And we see the fruits.

God could have just sent a lightning bolt and done in Ahab and that would have been the end of it. But the parabolic illustration teaches so much more to those who will listen. Verse 23. Therefore, look, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours and Yahweh has declared disaster against you.

And so, in case you're hard of hearing, in case you're not the sharpest knife in the draw, let me tell you what the parable means. And that's what verse 23 is. Paul said it this way, for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.

Because that's what they wanted. And God will, as we read from the psalm, with the pure, you will show yourself pure and with the devious, you will show yourself shrewd. God will outdo them. Verse 24. Now Zedekiah, the son of Caneana, I'm not reading that name again, well, because we don't come to it, but anyway, went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, Which way did the spirit of Yahweh go from me to speak to you? So the wise guy in the crowd is quick to violence, he's got the army on his side, takes advantage of the prophet that's just been invited to tell, give his side, and he gives his side and he is hit for this, they strike him.

He didn't use the iron horns to dramatize his, he used the parable, which I think is far better. Anyway, he says, How dare you publicly disagree with my religion? Because this is the leader of the pact, Zedekiah. He's the leader of the false prophets.

And he has been publicly challenged and he's not having it. Verse 25, And Micaiah said, Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into the inner chamber to hide. So Micaiah says, You're going to go screaming and hiding everywhere. You won't be very manly when this prophecy comes true. You won't be looking to strike anybody else on that day. And so he calls him out and he's saying, You're going to have a cowardly response to the prophecy that I'm giving you because you're going to be afraid of what the Assyrian troops might do to you if they catch you and the people when they find out you're a false prophet.

I like to see the look on his face. Verse 26, So the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and return him to Ammon, the governor of the city, and Joash the king's son. So he says, Arrest him and have my son, the prince, make sure that my instructions are followed, that the prophet is locked up. So it was a crime to tell the truth when asked.

It was a crime to give your opinion. Verse 27, And say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison and feed him the bread of affliction and water of affliction until I come in peace. So he's saying, Make him miserable.

Give him stale bread and dirty water until I come back. So he really, he hates the prophet. The prophet's never done anything wrong to him. But that's not enough for evil. Evil will bother us. You do not have to provoke evil.

It is provoked by nature, by definition. Verse 28, And Micaiah said, If you ever return in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me. And he said, Take heed, all you people. So I love this guy. This is the one man standing up with truth. And he says, Yeah, you ain't coming back. The prophecy is true.

This is it for you. He's got the guts to have, he gets the last word in, and then he tells the audience, You better watch out. That's what that means. If I'm a man of God, you're in big trouble if you stay against my God. Well, the ever active disdain of Satan. Satan is the way to the lie and to the doom, not to heaven.

But people want to dismiss him. They even dress up with little horns on their head and pitchforks because they think he's a big joke. Satan is never joking.

Never. He is evil. And he wants people to think he's joking.

He's the kind of guy that says, I'll tell you a funny joke as he's hacking off your leg. Well, Revelation 22, 11, there at the end, almost at the end of the revelation of Jesus Christ, it ends with this warning that wicked people retain their wicked nature. That's why there's no more chances. This is where it is settled. Revelation 22, 11, He who is unjust, let him be unjust still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him be righteous still. He who is holy, let him be holy still. In other words, there's a sarcasm in that.

One way to look at it, God is saying fine. You want to be dumb? Be dumb. You want to be a fool? Be a fool. You want to be righteous?

Be righteous. And then he's also saying in that section is that when you die, the unjust will be unjust still. There's no change into the Christ-like character that the Christian will enjoy, that predestination. Predestination doesn't mean we were forced on the flight to go to that destination. Predestination is we responded to the invitation to get on the flight that is predestined to go to heaven. And I do resent otherwise very intelligent men.

They could probably beat me in a spelling bee. But I think they get it wrong when they define biblical, the biblical word and meaning for predestination. It does not mean pre-caused.

It does not mean you were forced to go to a destination and others were forced not to go to that destination. And this is God's tool. Thanks for joining us for today's teaching on Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

We trust that what you've heard today in the book of First Kings has had a lasting imprint on your life. If you'd like to listen to more teachings from this series or share it with someone you know, please visit CrossReferenceRadio.com. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast, too, so you'll never miss another edition. Just visit CrossReferenceRadio.com and follow the links under radio. Again, that's CrossReferenceRadio.com. Our time with you today is about up, but we hope you'll tune in next time to continue studying the word of God. Join us again as Pastor Rick covers more in the book of First Kings on Cross-Reference Radio.