The job of the prophet in the Old Testament was a thankless job. Most of the people in Israel dreaded or downright feared every time one of them spoke. The people knew God spoke through them, and most of the messages were ones of warning or judgment. The people who struggled the most with the prophets were the kings. To them, the prophets were always bringing bad news. They weren’t afraid to rock the boat.
1 Kings 22:14
“But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever the Lord says to me.”
Thorn in the Side
Micaiah was a prophet who was a thorn in Ahab’s side. Ahab was a wicked king, and Micaiah was the only prophet that had the courage to tell him the truth. All the other prophets told Ahab what he wanted to hear. When Ahab was inquiring whether he should go to war, Micaiah said to him that he would die and the army of Israel would be scattered like sheep without a shepherd. It ended up coming true. Ahab was struck by a random arrow that pierced his armor, and he bled out in his chariot.
Speak Truthfully
It takes courage to stand for the truth of God’s word. We have been taught our whole life if we didn’t have anything nice to say not to say anything at all. But what do we do when we have to speak truthfully to someone? We take a cue from Micaiah. He was the only one who was willing to say what the Lord told him. Many of our friends and family need some tough love. They may not like it, but they need someone to tell them the truth. If you don’t want to hurt their feelings, or we want to avoid confrontation, we could be doing that person more harm than good.
Rock the Boat
Faithful are the wounds of a friend. (Prov 27:6) Your friend may not appreciate what you are telling them right now, but they will later on. You may make them stop and think about their decisions. Love someone enough to tell them the truth. Be more concerned with righteousness than with acceptance. Speak it to them in love and tenderness but don’t water it down. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat.