Thankful

I am thankful for…

…all the people in this big world of ours. I wish I could know them all.

…the few people in this little life of mine. I’m glad I can love them and be loved by them.

…the teachers who taught me.

…the students who teach me.

…public servants who truly serve.

…barbecue, fried catfish, steak, and fried chicken, and for surprisingly good cholesterol levels.

…all the amazing things I’ve learned about God, Jesus, and the Bible.

…the fact that, after over four decades of study, John 3:16 still pretty much sums it up.

…for Jesus being the Savior we need, not the one we want.

…for my Good Wife, whom I never have deserved, do not now deserve, and never will deserve, and who doesn’t like it when I say things like that.

…for my children and grandchildren, who, even if I do someday publish my great novel (I must write it first), will be my greatest legacy.

…for small churches that faithfully meet to worship, to hear the word proclaimed, and to fellowship, and for the pastors who faithfully show up to preach, teach, and serve.

…for streaming television services that make it convenient for me to watch all the great programs I would watch if I had time.

…for one show I have managed to watch—The Man in the High Castle—that offers the necessary reminder that it could indeed happen here.

…for people who don’t act like they know more than they know.

…for people who don’t act like they know less than they know.

…for all I’ve grown past, grown through, and am still—and always will be—growing into.

…for the Beatles. I mean, where would we be without them? Also for Badfinger, the Raspberries, and Grand Funk Railroad. I mean, we’d be fine if none of them ever existed, but I sure like them, so I’m glad they did.

…for National Public Radio, which is more informative and educational than all the television news channels combined

…for our Sleep Number bed. Right now, I’m a 70.

…for all of you who read the words I write and think about them a little bit. I am truly grateful.

Court Prophets

First Kings 22 tells a story about the danger of preachers cozying up to politicians.

The story takes place in the ninth century BC. What had been the United Monarchy of Israel under king David and his son and successor Solomon has become two kingdoms. A king named Ahab rules the northern kingdom of Israel, while Jehoshaphat rules the southern kingdom of Judah. The two kings are meeting to discuss going to war with Syria.

When Ahab asks Jehoshaphat to join him in fighting against Syria, Jehoshaphat expresses his willingness to do so. But he makes a request of Ahab: “Inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

So Ahab calls in four hundred prophets. That’s four hundred preachers.

That’s a lot of preachers.

Ahab asks the preachers if he should go up to battle. All four hundred of them affirm that he should. They guarantee him that God will give him success.

Hearing the unanimous opinion of the four hundred prophets, Jehoshaphat says, “Is there no other prophet of the LORD here of whom we may inquire?”

See, Jehoshaphat knows how this game is played. The four hundred prophets are court prophets. They serve the king more than they serve the Lord. Their job is to support the king in whatever the king wants to do.

They probably don’t even think about what God really wants. Or if they do, they’ve sold themselves out to the king to the point that they assume that God wants whatever the king wants.

Jehoshaphat knows this. He has court prophets of his own. He knows that preachers who hitch their wagon to a powerful politician represent the politician, not the Lord.

But going to war is serious business. Jehoshaphat would like to hear from a prophet who isn’t just going to say what the king wants to hear.

When Jehoshaphat asks if there might be another prophet available, Ahab says, “There is still one other by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything favorable about me, but only disaster.”

In other words, the preacher Micaiah always tells the king the truth.

Ahab sends for Micaiah. The messenger who goes to get Micaiah advises him that he should make things easy on himself and agree with what the four hundred court prophets are saying. Micaiah responds, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”

After some verbal sparring, Micaiah tells Ahab the truth: if he goes to war against Syria, he won’t come back alive.

For speaking the hard truth to the king, Micaiah goes to prison. For telling the king what he wants to hear, the four hundred court prophets go on about their useless business.

We’re told that Ahab does indeed die in battle.

We’re not told if Micaiah ever gets out of prison. But we are told that he represents God well. The Bible honors him for speaking truth to power and for not dishonoring his call by aligning himself so closely to the king that he loses his spiritual, moral, and ethical way.

There are important lessons here for preachers in our time.

First, preachers should be careful about aligning themselves too closely with political power.

Second, if preachers have a relationship with someone with political power, they shouldn’t be yes women or yes men.

Third, if preachers have the ear of someone in political power, for God’s sake, for the church’s sake, for the nation’s sake, for the world’s sake, and for their own sake, they should tell the truth.

As for what that truth is—well, we Christian preachers really should look to Jesus, shouldn't we?