When Jesus asked his disciples who the people thought he was, they mentioned three well-known prophets from Israel’s history - Elijah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist.1 As were most of the prophets, these men of God were known for standing outside the mainstream religious culture of their day.
In my post, “Spiritual Drought,” I described the price paid by one of the prophets trained by Elijah, who refused to bend to the pressure to conform. King Ahab had successfully coopted Israel’s religious leaders, making them his most vocal supporters and “yes” men. When it came time to decide whether or not to go to war against Syria, every single one of them prophesied victory, urging their champion on.
But it was Michaiah who called out these prophets when he claimed they were enticed by a deceiving spirit.2 Michaiah’s courage to speak the truth landed him in prison. The deceived, self-aggrandizing prophets of Ahab led the nation to disaster.
When the shaggy-haired, camel-cloaked, desert dweller Elijah burst on the scene in King Ahab’s courtroom, his first words recorded in I Kings 17:1 are -
As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand.
It’s easy to miss what Elijah is saying to King Ahab. Those granted an audience with the king were said to “stand before” him. But Elijah makes it clear to Ahab that it is not before Israel’s king of flesh and blood that he stands. No. Elijah stands before the Lord, the God of Israel.
Later, Elijah would learn he was not the only one refusing to compromise. God assured his prophet that 7000 others refused to bend their knee to an immoral and godless leader.3 And with that, what came to be known as the “School of the Prophets” was born, producing men like the fearless, uncompromising Michaiah.
God’s servants will always resist the pressure to conform, and, like Elijah and the 7000, they will be outcasts in the larger religious community. Most will never be known for large, “successful” ministries. They will never rub elbows with the political power brokers. But, like the prophets in scripture, history will bring to light their integrity, and time will confirm that it was the Lord God before whom they stood.
In Christ,
Dan
Matthew 16:14.
I Kings 22:21-23.
I Kings 19:18.
A beautiful word from the Word!
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13