Wise People seek Wise Counsel

Read 2 Chronicles 18.

Often during these times, international alliances were secured through arranged marriages from each nation.  Such was the case with the godly King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the wicked King Ahab of Israel.

Ahab asked his son-in-law to join forces and go to war with him.  Jehoshaphat would not agree until first they sought counsel from God.  Ahab turned to his 400 prophets of the false god Baal.  These phony seers even claimed to speak for the God of heaven (v.10-11).  But the LORD allowed "a lying spirit" (v.21) to be the counsel of Ahab's spiritual advisers.  Jesus called Satan "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).

Wisely, the King of Judah asked for a word from a prophet of the LORD.  Ahab knew of one, but he hated Micaiah because the word of the LORD was always against him.  He knew his life and kingdom were in opposition to the God of heaven, but he sought to go on in that direction anyway.  That is a definition of insanity.

Ahab did not listen and it cost him his life.  Jehoshaphat went along and narrowly escaped by the grace of God.

Micaiah's commitment to the word of God is one that every one who would speak on God's behalf-pastor, preacher, Bible teacher, believer- must have:

"As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak."

Sometimes what God has to say is a hard message.  Sometimes those who hear what God has to say will reject it.  But to those who have open hearts to respond to the LORD, His messages are wonderful words of life.