Speaking truth in love

 

READ 1 Kings 18–22

Prophets were the black and white people in the OT. No compromise. Confrontational. Sent with truth to overcome lies and false prophets. In this reading, Elijah confronted Ahab, calling for a meeting with his false prophets in the presence of the people of Israel. He challenged the people: “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” They were speechless. (1 Kings 18:21) Then altars were set up. The prophet told the idol worshipers to call on their god to prove himself and mocked them when nothing happened. Then he turned to the altar dedicated to the Lord and prayed:

“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” (18:36–39)

At that the false prophets were seized and slaughtered. Elijah’s actions were related by the king to Jezebel his wife and she sent a threat to the prophet. He fled in fear, revealing that even those gifted to hear and proclaim truth from God had feet of clay. God didn’t let him stay in hiding for long. He told him to stand on a mountain before Him:

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (19:11–12)

This is often the way God speaks. This time, He told the prophet to anoint three leaders; Hazael in Syria, Jehu in Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his place. He took Elisha under his mentor ship and did as he was told.

Later, another prophet urged Ahab to attack the threatening Syrians. He said, “Thus says the Lord, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the Lord” (20:13) and later, another man of God told him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” (20:28)

Nevertheless, Ahab was like a spoiled child. He wanted a garden and the owner would not sell it. Ahab whined to his wife and Jezebel had the man killed so Ahab would have that vineyard. For this and for their sins, God told them they would pay the ultimate price (21:23–24) .

And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.” (21:27–29)

Some are gifted to discerning God’s Word and confronting any who oppose it. As a Christian, I’m to “speak the truth in love” that God’s people “all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” and grow to maturity and the fullness of Christ, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:13–16) However, in a world that interprets love as making others feel good about themselves and life in general, this is a challenge.

How does a sin-discerning Christian speak the truth in love when the truth hurts and the words don’t sound as if they are loving? One well-known author says that when God reveals truth, rather than spout it off to others who might need to hear it, take it back to the Lord in prayer, talking to God before saying anything. If He wants a confrontation, He will prepare the words and the way because He is the Author of both truth and love! I just need to see His mind and not take matters into my own hands.

 

Pray for leaders . . .

 

READ 1 Kings 14–17

Our world is filled with political conflict, upheaval, and evil leadership. It becomes increasingly clear that human wisdom is not sufficient for excellent leadership as conditions go from bad to worse.

After David and Solomon, the OT people of God had centuries of bad government. God made Jeroboam leader over Israel, taking part of the kingdom from David’s line, but this king didn’t do very well. He did evil above all who were before him, provoking God to anger. God promised disaster and eventually “burned up the house of Jeroboam” and he died and his son Nadab reigned in his place. (1 Kings 14:7–20)

Nadab also “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.” Baasha then killed him and reigned in his place. However, he also “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” and died. His son Elah reigned. However, Zimri, his commander chariots, conspired against him. Elah was drunk when Zimri killed him and then reigned in his place.

Zimri didn’t last long. After seven days, word went around that he had killed Elah so all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel. He took the city where Zimri was and set fire to the king’s house with the king dying in the flames. At this point, even Israel was divided for a little while, but Omri’s reign was established. Then “Omri did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, more evil than all who were before him.”

When Omri died, his son Ahab took over the throne. This king was the worst yet . . .

As if it had been a light thing for (Ahab) to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. (16:30–33)

At this point, God sent a prophet to deal with the rampant decline. Elijah spoke to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

Then God told Elijah, “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

He obeyed and lived by the brook with food brought by ravens and the water from the brook until it dried up. Then he was sent to a widow God commanded to feed him. (17:1–9)

She didn’t have much but God miraculously kept filling her jar of flour and jug of oil. She and Elijah and her household “ate for many days.” But then her son became ill and stopped breathing. Again, God used Elijah for a miracle and the son “came to life again” as the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. As a result, the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” (17:24)

God was also moving in Judah. After a succession of evil kings and fighting between them and the kings in Israel, Asa came to the throne (15:8) and he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord . . . and was wholly true to the Lord all his days.” When he died, Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place about the same time Ahab came to the throne in Israel and when the ministry of Elijah began.

The story continues with the conflict and yet some cooperation between these two leaders. These stories confirm the need for prayer in our modern world. No matter who is in charge, seemingly good people or obviously selfish and power-hungry people, all need the hand of God in their lives and all need the prayers of God’s people.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. (1 Timothy 2:1–8)

This I can do!