1 Kings 22: Selective Hearing?

"But Micaiah said, 'As the LORD lives, what the

LORD says to me, that I will speak.'" 1 Kings 22:14

Have you ever committed the great act of selective hearing? Perhaps some of you often try to hear the things you want to hear and not hear the things that you don't want to hear. Although this may work great with your friends or your kids [your wife?], we find in 1 Kings 22 that it doesn't work too well with God.

In 1 Kings 22, we see our most recent favorite character, Ahab, appear again. He is hungry for war, and he decides to make an alliance with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to overtake a portion of Syria that he thinks belongs to him. They are both ready to go into war, but Jehoshaphat, a godly king, reminds the newly-repentant Ahab (see yesterday's devotional) that he needs to inquire of the Lord before he does so. Ahab does so, but he seeks the wisdom of the Lord from 400 false prophets who tell them exactly what he wants to hear. They proclaim that he will have victory in battle, and Ahab gladly hears them.

However, there is another prophet--a God-fearing prophet--that Jehoshaphat encourages Ahab to inquire as well. Ahab is reluctant from the beginning since according to his report Micaiah "never prophesies good concerning [him], but evil" (v. 8), and this is exactly hat Micaiah does. He prophesies that Ahab would die in battle, and Ahab reluctantly hears him.

The story continues, and Ahab decides to go out to battle against the word of the Lord. Interestingly enough, although he does not submit to Micaiah's prophesy, he does fear it, as can be seen by his disguise when he goes into battle (v. 30). Nevertheless, the sovereign hand of the Lord is not fooled by a change of clothes. Ahab ends up being killed, and Micaiah's words are vindicated.

Thus, we have a story of selective hearing, yet, perhaps we do not. Let us realize that Ahab heard the words of both the false prophets and Micaiah. Thus, we have more a story of selective obedience that selective hearing, and if we think we don't commit this sin as well, we are surely mistaken.

Just like Ahab, we so often choose to listen and obey the words of God when they are pleasant for our account yet disobey them when we are displeased with them. We love and cling to verses like John 3:16 and Romans 8:28, yet often don't heed other scriptures that command us to obey in areas we would not like (such as Matthew 5:11, Romans 12:19, or Luke 9:23 for a few examples). Let us take note, dear brother and sisters, that selective obedience is selective destruction. When we choose the evil path, the Lord's blessing does not come with us. When we chos sin, we are left on our own, and our destruction will follow.

So, what commands of the Lord have you been "selectively mishearing"? Which truths in scripture are you not taking to heart? How can you follow Jesus better today, as you obey him with all of your heart, rather than just half of it?